This simple crustless pumpkin pie recipe is an absolutely delicious pumpkin dessert that’s easy to make and surprisingly healthy!
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The best crustless pumpkin pie
This is the original recipe for crustless pumpkin pie, first published over a decade ago.
It currently includes more than five hundred positive reviews from readers who’ve made and love the perfectly spiced flavor and ultra smooth custard texture of this homemade pie.
Over the years, the fan favorite pumpkin pie recipe has developed something of a cult following. Many commenters write in to tell me that they bake it not just for Christmas or Thanksgiving dessert, but all year round!
Some even eat it for breakfast.
And hey, why not? The fancy orange winter squash pie is low in calories, high fiber, low fat, and packed with vitamin A, calcium, and healthy ingredients.
Trust me, this will be love at first bite.
Also make these Sweet Potato Brownies
Crustless pumpkin pie recipe video
Above, watch the step by step video.
This is amazing. It is like eating the inside of the pumpkin pie, but more custardy. I like it better.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Tastes like pumpkin custard. The texture and flavor are so rich, decadent, and impossibly smooth. Each bite melts on your tongue, like a custard or mousse in the form of a pie.
Low calorie. You could actually eat the entire eight servings of pumpkin pie and still consume less fat and fewer calories than just one slice of many traditional pies.
Not that I recommend eating an entire pie in one serving… But you could.
Great use for canned pumpkin. One of the best things about this recipe is that it calls for a whole can of pumpkin puree. So there’s no need to worry about how to use up leftover canned pumpkin when you’re done.
No sweetened condensed milk. Unlike other crustless pumpkin pie recipes, this one does not require condensed or evaporated milk or heavy cream.
Oil free and low fat. The favorite holiday dessert also includes soy free, nut free, paleo, gluten free, added sugar free, low carb, and dairy free options. It’s a great choice for a Weight Watchers diet too, because the pie is very low in points.
Readers also love these Snowball Cookies
Crustless pumpkin pie ingredients
Pumpkin Puree – The recipe calls for a standard 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree. This can be the classic Libby’s or any generic or organic canned pumpkin.
Be sure to not accidentally buy pumpkin pie filling, because canned pumpkin pie filling already includes extra sugar and spices. In contrast, the only ingredient in pumpkin puree is cooked pumpkin.
Flour – I’ve made the pie successfully with whole grain spelt flour, oat flour, white all purpose flour, sorghum flour, and almond flour or almond meal. Clearly I’ve made this recipe more than a few times!
If you wish to use coconut flour, it needs much less flour, because coconut flour soaks up liquid like a sponge.
Milk – I love the extra creaminess you get from using coconut milk or oat milk. Whole milk, skim milk, soymilk, or unsweetened almond milk also work.
A few of the comments mention swapping some of the milk for Greek yogurt or cottage cheese to get more protein. I haven’t tried these substitutions, but please feel free to leave feedback if you experiment.
Spices – Ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice add warm Fall coziness to the homemade pie. Your entire kitchen will smell deliciously like autumn.
Sweetener – Granulated sweeteners, such as sugar or unrefined date or coconut sugar, give you the best consistency in my opinion. Pure maple syrup and honey do also work. Or use your favorite sugar substitute (erythritol, monk fruit, stevia baking blend) if you want keto crustless pumpkin pie with no sugar added.
Egg – The original recipe called for ground flax or cornstarch, but so many readers made it with eggs that I’ve now included that as an option. You can still make it without eggs if you prefer.
Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract enhances the comforting spice of the pumpkin recipe. Do not substitute imitation vanilla flavoring.
Other Ingredients – Two teaspoons of baking powder help the pie to set without a crust. Salt balances the sweetness and adds depth of flavor.
Trending recipe: Pumpkin Banana Bread
Frequently asked questions
I like canned pumpkin because it makes the cooking process so easy. Just open the can and you’re done.
However, grocery stores are often out of canned pumpkin, especially around holidays like Thanksgiving. If you cannot find a can of pumpkin puree, an alternative is to buy a fresh pumpkin. (Sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins work best.)
Roast and then puree the flesh to make homemade pumpkin puree.
You absolutely can use roasted or canned sweet potato puree instead of the pumpkin. In fact, I’ve done it already: Crustless Sweet Potato Pie. Butternut squash puree works too.
For an eggless and vegan crustless pumpkin pie, simply choose the egg free option and your favorite dairy free milk.
Almond milk, oat milk, soymilk, or coconut milk are all great choices.
For mini crustless pumpkin cupcakes or bites, pour the filling into cupcake liners instead of a pie pan. Bake 20 minutes at 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius) or until the sides are set. Let cool, then refrigerate until centers firm up.
It is! The most magical part about this recipe is its texture. Soft and creamy, yet easy to cut clean slices at the same time, with no crust needed.
I’d recommend one of my other pumpkin pie recipes, already tested to bake successfully in a crust. Try this Vegan Pumpkin Pie or my favorite Healthy Pumpkin Pie.
Oh where to even start? There’s this Healthy Apple Pie, or my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. Apple Bread is great for breakfast or a healthy dessert. And Black Bean Brownies are super popular for any occasion!
If you have time, sift the flour before combining it with the other ingredients. Sifting flour is a great baking trick to distribute ingredients more evenly and prevent clumps of flour in your batter.
Still craving pumpkin? Make 100 Calorie Pumpkin Cake
Pumpkin pie topping ideas
Or try topping each slice of pumpkin pie with homemade whip cream, cashew cream, marshmallow fluff, powdered sugar, or Air Fryer Apples.
I once served it with a layer of candied pecans arranged on top, and guests raved about it. People said it tasted like crustless pumpkin pecan pie.
You may also opt to simply eat it plain, letting the pumpkin spice flavor profile shine.
How to make pumpkin pie without crust
Step 1: Gather your ingredients. And read through the instructions. There is nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe before realizing you’re missing a crucial ingredient or necessary baking equipment.
Step 2: Preheat the oven. Set the temperature to 400° Fahrenheit or 204° Celsius. Grease a 9 inch pie pan (I use a glass pan), then set this pan aside.
Step 3: Whisk wet ingredients. Combine the pureed pumpkin, milk or plant based milk, pure vanilla extract, and optional egg in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Stir well with a fork or wire whisk. No blender required for this one bowl pumpkin pie.
Step 4: Add dry ingredients. Stir the flour, sweetener, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and optional cornstarch into the bowl until well incorporated. (Tip: You can stir the dry ingredients together days in advance to save time. Store the mix in a sealed Ziploc bag.)
Step 5: Transfer to the pan. Pour the pumpkin mixture into your prepared baking pan. Place on the center rack of the preheated oven.
Step 6: Bake the pie. Cook for thirty five minutes or until the edges of the pie are firm and the middle is still slightly jiggly but no longer liquid.
Step 7: Let cool. Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Set it on a wire rack on the counter to cool. Then place the still underdone pie uncovered in the refrigerator for at least six hours or overnight. It will firm up considerably as it chills.
Tips for serving and storing leftovers
You can serve the recipe cold or gently warm each slice for a few seconds in the microwave if your friends and family like hot pumpkin pie.
Once the filling sets, cover the pie pan tightly with saran wrap or aluminum foil. Or store individual slices in a lidded container.
It should keep for up to five days refrigerated.
You can also freeze pumpkin pie in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw fully before serving.
Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin puree (425g)
- 1 cup milk of choice (240g)
- 1 large egg or 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (12g)
- 1/2 cup sugar or granulated sugar free sweetener (100g)
- 1/3 cup flour (such as spelt, oat, white, sorghum, or almond) (40g)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (4g)
- 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
- 1 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice (2g)
- 1/2 tsp salt (3g)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius). Grease a 9 inch pie pan, then set the pan aside.
- 2. Whisk pumpkin puree, milk, vanilla, and optional egg in a large measuring cup or bowl.
- 3. Stir in the flour, sweetener, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, baking powder, salt, and optional corn starch until well mixed.
- 4. Smooth the mixture directly into the prepared pan. No crust required.
- 5. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle is slightly jiggly.
- 6. Let cool on a wire rack on the counter. Then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, during which time the crustless pumpkin pie will firm up to an easily sliceable texture. Serve cold or hot, with whipped cream if desired.
- 7. Once the pie sets, refrigerate any leftovers covered tightly in the pan or in a lidded container for up to 5 days. Or freeze slices for up to 3 months and thaw before serving.
Video
Notes
More pumpkin desserts
Applesauce Muffins (Use pumpkin puree instead of banana)
That looks tasty but I have to admit i would miss the crust…that is one of my favorite parts of the pie (though unhealthy I know :P)
The crust is my favorite part too. I don’t mind a crustless quiche once in a while though.
I so been waiting for this. No crust less calories which I love and it tastes great! I bet this would work with sweet potato too!
That is so great! My favorite food of all time is pumpkin pie, though the filling is my favorite part of my favorite food, I do love a good flaky crust to contrast the texture. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is throwing the dinner party. I love throwing events and having everyone enjoy themselves.
being with the whole fam and deffffff the dessert! then now me and my mom and sister wait til midnite and are part of the lunatics out shoppin lol
Sounds amazing! Thanks Katie!
Pumpkin Pie is my all time favorite food, but I do appreciate a good flaky crust to give a complimentary texture tot he pie filling. My favorite part of Thanksgiving is the event. I love hosting events and putting everything together and watching people enjoy themselves.
Katie! This pie looks scrumptious, and I can’t wait to try it. Also, I am absolutely stunned that you received hate mail and criticism for trying to bring some good into this world while trying to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Any loyal reader of this blog knows that you would NEVER intentionally do something to hurt someone let alone initiate an entire campaign to raise money for your own gain! One of the things I respect about you the most (besides your love for chocolate of course) is your incredibly honest and open heart. There have been many times when you have retracted/edited blog posts &/or statements because there was a slight INKLING that you may have inadvertently offended someone. You have never been one to hide your true intentions and never been one to cover up your mistakes so I’m not sure why you would all of a sudden change into a different person now. I really hate that there are straight up bullies in this world who totally get off on hurting or belittling other people, especially people as sweet as you. Just remember that these people are unhappy and unsatisfied with their own lives, and the only way they know how to make themselves feel better is to say nasty and hurtful things to people in order to try to bring them to their own level. Just remember that your true fans and your loyal readers know that you are honest, beautiful, smart, funny, charismatic, loving, sincere, and loyal…and we all know these things about you not because we’ve met you in person and not because you’ve flat out told us so…no…we know these things because your character shines through your writing and recipes and brightens the lives of your readers on a daily basis. Please don’t ever let hateful and cruel comments take that light away from you. XOXO
Do you find ground flax seeds useful as an egg replacer? I have yet to try it but have read that they are fabulous. I enjoyed your post.
yes 🙂
This looks so good! I’ll have to try it out soon! The filling is definitely the best part of the pie!
Sorry to hear you got so much hate mail. I thought it was incredibly kind of you, I’m sad a few people had to ruin the idea. Keep doing what your doing! You rock!
I baked one today and it tastes great! The only problem is it turned out very dark brown? Not sure if I did something wrong? I went through and double checked the recipe? Any ideas?
But it’s supposed to be dark brown :).
I think the second and third photos show the color best.
I have been looking for a site like yours for quite some time. I eat clean and have had a difficult time finding sweet treats that omit sugar. Your recipes look so delicious! We have our annual “Christmas baking extravaganza” coming up and with my clean eating, my daughters peanut allergy and friends gluten allergy, I was ready to throw my hands up! Now I have some yummy options we can all indulge in. Thanks for sharing your delicious treats. 🙂
This recipe reminds me of my mom’s pumpkin pudding that she makes every year for Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas too, if we beg enough!). My family is not big on pie crust anyway, so it’s a good way to make a favorite dessert a little healthier.
Aww you look so pretty in that picture! 🙂 Your family seems so nice and happy, I think you are a huge inspiration, and I will pray for your relatives and family being affected in New York. I am so so sorry for your family’s loss. I am also sorry for the hate mail on trying to do something nice to help! DO NOT LET THE HATERS BRING YOU DOWN!!! Lol, you have so many fans Katie, don’t ever stop what you do and please I hate to think of you being upset about mean internet people! 🙂
Thank you, Julia. 🙂
YUM YUM YUM! Just had this great idea: I am going to bake this in muffin tins so that I will have a bunch of mini little pumpkin pies and I can just take out one as a snack. I feel brilliant.. hehe
I love your idea!
Totally making this and probably eating the whole thing!!! 🙂